State of Delaware Child Protection Accountability Commission
State of Delaware Child Protection Accountability Commission
Mental and Behavioral Health Services to Children in Foster Care Subcommittee
May 21, 2007 Meeting Minutes
In Attendance:
Daniel Astin, OCA Volunteer Attorney
Missy Baker, CASA
Carla Benson-Green, DFS
Susan Burns, DSCYF
Tania Culley, OCA
Susan Cycyk, DCMHS
Pete DeRepentigny, DFS
Molly Dunson, OCA
Mary Lou Edgar, Interagency Committee on Adoption
Aileen Fink, CMH
Sarah Grencer, DFS
Joan Heller, CASA
Howard Isenberg, Open Door, Inc.
Tanya Jefferis, OCA Volunteer Attorney
Caroline Jones, CASA
Bettina Jones, DOJ
Vicky Kelly, Children and Families First
Mariann Kenville-Moore, DOJ
Mike Kersteter, People’s Place
Ellen Levin, CASA
Anthony Longo, DOJ, DAG
Laura Miles, DFS
Janice Mink (Subcommittee Co-chair)
Joanne Miro, DOE
Mandell Much, Aquila
Iris Payne, CMH
Marc Richman, DCMHS
Randall Williams, Children’s Advocacy Center (Subcommittee Co-chair)
Jessie Wolfe-Parsons, DCMHS
The Honorable Loretta Young, Family Court
Opening Remarks
Co-Chairs Randy Williams and Janice Mink welcomed everyone. Randy explained that this first meeting would be organizational in nature and would involve talking about the Subcommittee’s charge and how to accomplish it. He also noted that this group will have the opportunity to understand how mental and behavioral health services are delivered to children in foster care in Delaware and to deliver a report and a set of recommendations to CPAC with the goal of providing high quality mental and behavioral health services to children in foster care.
The following ground rules were laid down for the Subcommittee to follow:
• remain focused on the charge
• treat each other with civility and respect
• avoid personal attacks while being candid
• listen while others are speaking
• respect ideas and opinions of others
• bring solutions, not just problems
• focus on systemic issues rather than personal “war stories”
• arrive on time and the meetings will begin and end on time
• work with everyone to achieve recommendations to help all children
I. Committee Member Introductions
Attendees introduced themselves and stated why they were interested in serving on this subcommittee.
II. Remarks
Susan Cycyk made remarks on behalf of the Division of Child Mental Health Services (CMH). She remarked that CMH intends to be candid and committed to working together to understand how the system is working, where it can be improved, and where policies and procedures help and where they create barriers, so that any child in poverty or in foster care has access to quality mental health services. She also noted that she, the Director of CMH, and Marc Richman, the Deputy Director of CMH, intend to attend as many meetings as possible so that someone with a policy view is present at the meetings. In addition, there will be CMH representatives from downstate, who are involved in direct services with children in foster care. Finally, Ms. Cycyk discussed the fact that CMH has been unable to meet the recommendations of the Governor’s Foster Care Task Force, and that she hopes to work with the Subcommittee to meet these outlying recommendations.
Following Ms. Cycyk’s remarks, there was discussion about whether to expand the Subcommittee’s charge to include children who are adopted out of foster care. It was decided that the subcommittee’s charge would be modified as follows:
1. To examine how mental health and behavioral health services are delivered to children in foster care and those adopted out of foster care and make recommendations as necessary for change; and
2. To examine the continuum of providers, services and resources for same and make recommendations as necessary for change.
III. The Path Forward
IV. Future Meeting Schedule
• June 18, 2007
• July 30, 2007
• August 20, 2007
• September 17, 2007
• October 15, 2007
• November 19, 2007
• December 17, 2007
V. Public Comment
There being no public comment, the meeting was adjourned at 1:00 pm.
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